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Study supports notion of infants crying back to sleep

January 9, 2013 by MAUREEN AZUH

Study supports notion of infants crying back to sleep

A new research suggests that majority of infants are best left to cry and fall back to sleep on their own, writes MAUREEN AZUH

It is common place to find a mother – especially young, first time mother – rushing to her baby’s side when he or she cries at night. But a recent study says it is better to let the baby soothe himself and fall back asleep.

Analysis of the study indicates that today, mothers of newborns find themselves confronting a common dilemma of whether or not to allow their babies cry out when they wake up at night. The question also borders on whether or not they should rush to lull them.

The analysis further says waking up in the middle of the night is the most common concern that infants’ parents report to paediatricians. However, the new study carried out by a professor from the department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, US, Marsha Weinraub, gives parents some scientific facts to help on that decision.

The study, published in DevelopmentalPsychology, January 2, 2013, supports the idea that a majority of infants are best left to self-soothe and fall back to sleep on their own.

Weinraub, also an expert on child development and parent-child relationship, says by six months of age, most babies sleep through the night, awakening their mothers only about once per week, though not all children follow this pattern of development.

For their study, Weinraub and her colleagues measured patterns of night time sleep awakenings in infants, ages six to 36 months. The result of their findings revealed two groups: sleepers and transitional sleepers.

“If you measure them while they are sleeping, all babies – like all adults – move through a sleep cycle every 1 1/2 to two hours where they wake up and then return to sleep. Some of them do cry and call out when they awaken, and that is called ‘not sleeping through the night,” she says.

Weinraub adds that her team also asked parents of more than 1,200 infants to report on their child’s awakenings at six, 15, 24 and 36 months. According to her, they found that by six months of age, 66 per cent of babies – the sleepers – did not awaken, or awoke just once per week, following a flat trajectory as they grew. But a full 33 per cent woke up seven nights per week at six months, dropping to two nights by 15 months and to one night per week by 24 months.

The study also shows that of the babies that awoke, the majority were boys. These transitional sleepers also tended to score higher on an assessment of difficult temperament which identified traits such as irritability and distractibility. And these babies were more likely to be breastfed, while their mothers were more likely to be depressed and have greater maternal sensitivity.

Weinraub says the findings suggest a couple of things. One is that genetic or constitutional factors such as those that might be reflected in difficult temperaments appear implicated in early sleep problems. She adds that families who discover sleep problems persist past 18 months should seek advice.

“When mothers tune in to these night time awakenings and/or if a baby is in the habit of falling asleep during breastfeeding, then he or she may not be learning how to self-soothe, something that is critical for regular sleep,” she says.

According to Weinraub also, the mechanism by which maternal depression is connected to infant awakenings is an area that would benefit from further research.

“On the one hand,” she says. “It is possible that mothers who are depressed at six and 36 months may have been depressed during pregnancy and that this prenatal depression could have affected neural development and sleep awakenings. At the same time, it is important to recognise that sleep deprivation can, of course, exacerbate maternal depression.

“Because the mothers in our study described infants with many awakenings per week as creating problems for themselves and other family members, parents might be encouraged to establish more nuanced and carefully targeted routines to help babies with self-soothing and to seek occasional respite. The best advice is to put infants to bed at a regular time every night, allow them to fall asleep on their own and resist the urge to respond right away to awakenings.”

Reasons babies cry

It can be tricky to interpret a child’s cries, especially at first. But, there are some common reasons babies cry and they include:

•Hunger

This is probably the first thing to think of when a baby cries.

Learning to recognise the signs of hunger will help every mother start baby’s feedings before the crying stage. Some signs to watch for in newborns: fussing, smacking of lips, rooting – a newborn reflex that causes babies to turn their head toward their mothers’ hands when stroking their cheek – and putting their hands to their mouth.

•A dirty diaper

Some babies let their mother know right away when they need to be changed. Others can tolerate a dirty diaper for quite a while. Either way, this one is easy to check and simple to remedy.

•Needs sleep

In reality, it is harder for babies to fall asleep than people might think. Instead of nodding off, babies may fuss and cry, especially if they are overly tired.

•Wants to be held

Babies need a lot of cuddling. They like to see their parents’ faces, hear their voices, and listen to their heartbeats, and can even detect their unique smell. Crying can be their way of asking to be held close.

•Tummy troubles (gas, colic, and more)

Tummy troubles associated with gas or colic can lead to lots of crying. In fact, the rather mysterious condition called colic is defined as inconsolable crying for at least three hours a day, three days a week, or three weeks in a row.

If a baby often fusses and cries right after being fed, he may be feeling some sort of tummy pain. Even if a baby is not colicky and has never been fussy after eating, an occasional bout of gas pain can make him miserable until he works it out.